The rocky challenges of New Hampshire’s rugged coast. The warm seclusion of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Praise the Pacific all you like – left coasters aren’t the only ones with life-changing breaks. They may seem more elusive, and produce smaller, more temperamental waves, but it’s easy to get stoked on the East Coast’s best surf spots. Our favorites are sometimes just a little out of the way. Just as easy to find in a windswept fishing village or below the cliffs of a manicured row of mansions. But ask any surfer worth his mettle about these epic waves, and you’ll get the confirmation you’re looking for: a wide, knowing smile. We never feel the need to leave the Atlantic side for some of America’s best surfing, especially in summer. Here are six reasons why.

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